近期，長江水產(chǎn)研究所危起偉研究員領(lǐng)銜的研究團隊發(fā)表關(guān)于白鱘的最新研究論文《Is there evidence that the Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) still survives in the upper Yangtze River? Concerns inferred from hydroacoustic and capture surveys, 2006–2008》在世界鱘魚保護學會的官方學術(shù)刊物《Journal of Applied Ichthyology》發(fā)表，引起國際社會廣泛關(guān)注。

　　該論文系統(tǒng)介紹了危起偉研究團隊3年來在長江上游開展白鱘搶救性保護工作的一些初步成果。在中國長江三峽工程開發(fā)總公司的資助下，危起偉研究團隊采用科學回聲系統(tǒng)探測和試驗性捕撈的方法，對金沙江新市鎮(zhèn)至長江上游重慶約487.5公里的江段進行了4次大范圍的白鱘資源普查，雖然試驗性捕撈未能捕獲到白鱘個體，但水聲學探測卻發(fā)現(xiàn)了9個白鱘疑似信號，且其中有2個信號極有可能就是白鱘。根據(jù)以上結(jié)果，論文認為目前白鱘已處于滅絕邊緣，采取迅速有效的拯救措施已刻不容緩。

　　論文發(fā)表后，世界自然保護聯(lián)盟(World Conservation Union，IUCN)鱘魚專家組多次發(fā)函詢問相關(guān)情況，英國BBC針對此論文還專門做了采訪報道。

　　BBC新聞報道鏈接：

　　http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8269000/8269414.stm

　　論文摘要如下：

　　Is there evidence that the Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) still survives in the upper Yangtze River? Concerns inferred from hydroacoustic and capture surveys 2006-2008

　　By H. Zhang^1,2, Q. W. Wei^1,2,3, H. Du^2,3, L. Shen^2,3, Y. H. Li^1,2, Y. Zhao^1,2

　　1 College of Fishery, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

　　2 Key Laboratory of Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China

　　3 Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China

　　Corresponding author: Qiwei Wei, Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, No. 41 Jianghan Road, Shashi District, Jingzhou City, Hubei Province 434000, P. R. China. Phone: +86-716-8128881, Fax: +86-716-8228212. E-mail: weiqw@www.n3u8.com.

　　Summary

　　Due to the rarity of Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius), very little information is available on this species. In order to save the critically endangered giant species, four large-range hydroacoustic (surveys using an echo sounder with a 199 kHz, 6.8° split-beam transducer) and capture (by drift nets and setlines) surveys were conducted in the upper Yangtze River during 2006-2008. According to the target strength (TS) study on Polyodon spathula (Hale et al. 2003) and Love’s formula about TS-fish length relations (Love 1971), the four acoustic surveys identified nine potential targets (TS > ‒26.29 dB) of P. gladius, and two (TS > ‒22.40 dB) of them were very probably the fish. A total of 4,762 setlines, 111 anchored setlines and 950 drift net catches were conducted in which 472 fishes of various species were caught. However, we did not catch any single P. gladius. The gear used did not allow to capture quantitatively over rough ground with deep holes, perhaps allowing leave fish to effectively hide or escape. The hydro acoustic signals indicate this likely behaviour. In any case, it is strongly suggested that the fish is on the edge of extinction and we propose further rigid measures to save the remaining fear specimens.